The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) is introduced by the Central Government as an option under the National Pension System (NPS) for Central Government employees with effect from 1st April 2025. The UPS provides assured pay-out based on the prescribed conditions.

Yes, an existing Central Government employee in service as of 1 April 2025, who is covered under National Pension System (NPS) is eligible to opt for UPS.

Yes, Central Government employees joining service on or after 1 April 2025 will be eligible to opt for UPS.

Yes, a Central Government employee who was covered under NPS and retired on or before 31st March 2025 is eligible to opt for UPS, provided they meet any of the following prescribed conditions:

1. Has superannuated after minimum 10 years of qualifying service; or 
2. Has voluntarily retired or retired under the provisions of Fundamental Rules 56(j) (which is not treated as penalty under Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965), on or before 31st March 2025, or 
3. the legally wedded spouse in case of a subscriber who has superannuated or retired and has demised prior to exercising the option for UPS. 

The forms A1, A2, along with the instructions and list of documents to be attached can be downloaded from the website of the Protean CRA at, www.npscra.nsdl.co.in/ups.php

Option has to be exercised by 30th September 2025 or within such extended timelines if any, allowed by the Central Government.

Option has to be exercised by 30th September 2025, or within such extended timelines if any, allowed by the Central Government.

Option has to be exercised by 30th September 2025, or within such extended timelines if any, allowed by the Central Government.

Option has to be exercised within thirty (30) days from the date of joining Central Government services or within such extended timelines, if any, allowed by the Central Government.

Yes, a “one-time, one-way switch” facility is available for reverting to the National Pension System at any time during the service of the subscriber, within following timelines: 

1. twelve months prior to the date of superannuation; 
2. three months prior to the deemed date of voluntary retirement; 
3. at the time of resignation or compulsory retirement under Fundamental Rule 56(j), which is not a penalty. 

The subscriber shall be eligible for the employer contribution at the rate of fourteen percent as available under the NPS. The additional four percent contribution for the period during which subscriber was under UPS (before the switch facility becomes effective) shall be computed on the default investment pattern, as notified by the Authority, and credited to the NPS Account of the subscriber. 

The future contributions of the Central Government, after the switch facility become effective, will be credited to the NPS account of the subscriber, at the rate of fourteen per cent. as per the provisions of the Central Civil Services (Implementation of National Pension System) Rules, 2021, in the following month in which switch facility has been exercised. The subscriber may also exercise investment choices for such future contributions. 

Provisions of the PFRDA (Exits and Withdrawals under the National Pension System) Regulations, 2015 shall apply in respect of such subscribers. Such subscribers will not be eligible for assured payout and other benefits under the Unified Pension Scheme.

(For more details on the switch facility, refer Rule 11 of the Central Civil Services (Implementation of the Unified Pension Scheme under the National Pension System) Rules, 2025) 

An eligible person, who does not exercise the UPS option under NPS within the timelines laid down shall be deemed to have opted to continue under NPS without UPS option.

PRAN is a Permanent Retirement Account Number allocated to subscriber opening/opting for UPS, and under which all the transactions are recorded by the CRA system.

Identity and address proof are the key KYC documents. Any one of the following to be submitted:

1. Passport
2. Driving License
3. Voter ID Card
4. CKYC Number
5. National Population Register
6. Proof of possession of Aadhaar

The form can be submitted online or physically to the Head of Office / DDO where the subscriber is employed. Subscribers are advised to retain the acknowledgement slip signed/stamped by the designated respective nodal office where they submit the application.

Yes, subscriber can submit their request for enrolment online by filing required forms through CRA website. Once it is submitted, the form goes to the DDO and then to PAO for verification.

Employment Details (At the time of exercise of UPS option)

1. Date of joining
2. Date of Superannuation
3. Date of commencement of qualifying service
4. Employee Code/ID
5. Basic Pay
6. Pay Scale (Optional)
7. Name of the office
8. Department
9. Ministry
10. DDO Registration Number
11. PAO / CDDO / Pr.AO Registration Number

Qualifying service shall be the completed months for which UPS subscriber has rendered regular services under the Central Government, determined by the Head of Office, in terms of Regulation 13 of the PFRDA (Operationalization of Unified Pension Scheme under National Pension System) Regulations, 2025.

Through the online system of the CRA.

The Subscriber can obtain the status of his/her application from CRA and respective Nodal Office.

Yes, UPS Subscriber may, in addition to his UPS account, have additional account under NPS (Tier I and Tier II) on a voluntary basis under All Citizen model.

The monthly contribution of 10% of (basic pay + DA) by the employee along with a matching contribution by the employer, shall be credited to each employee’s PRAN through the concerned nodal office. 

Further, an estimated 8.5% contribution towards Pool Corpus shall be paid by Central Government, on aggregate basis. 

On migration from NPS to UPS, the corpus of the subscriber will get transferred to the PRAN tagged to UPS.

On migration from NPS to UPS, the subscriber shall be identified by the erstwhile PRAN tagged to UPS.

Individual Corpus means the value of corpus available in the PRAN of a subscriber under UPS. 

Benchmark Corpus is a notional value computed by CRA for comparison with individual corpus. It is based on NAV of the default investment. (For more details, Regulation 12 and Illustrations in Schedules to the Regulations, may be referred). 

The government contributes an estimated 8.5% towards a Pool Corpus based on aggregate employee data.

The Pool Corpus shall comprise of -

1. Additional Central Government contribution at an estimated eight and half percent of Basic Pay (including non-practicing allowance, wherever applicable) plus Dearness Allowance, on aggregate basis of all employees who have chosen the UPS option;
2. Transfer of balance from the individual corpus of a subscriber as per regulation 19 (3); and
3. Any other contribution defined by the Central Government.

The Pool Corpus shall be allocated to such pension fund(s) as determined by the Central Government, who shall invest the funds in accordance with the investment pattern and related aspects thereto, as approved by the Central Government.

Yes, employees can choose from registered pension funds and investment patterns, including default patterns defined by PFRDA.

In such cases, the employee will be assigned the default pension fund and investment pattern defined by PFRDA.

1. Option to invest hundred percent of the funds in Government securities (Scheme G); or
2. Option of any one of the following Life Cycle based schemes:
   1. Conservative Life Cycle Fund with maximum exposure to equity capped at twenty- five percent. LC-25; or
   2. Moderate Life Cycle Fund with maximum exposure to equity capped at fifty percent. LC-50.

UPS Subscriber shall have an option to change

• the choice of pension fund once in a financial year and
• investment choice twice in a financial year.

Benchmark corpus shall be computed in the following manner :

1. Partial withdrawals made out of individual corpus and voluntary contributions made into the individual corpus shall not be considered in the computation.
2. For contributions received prior to 1st April, 2025: monthly contributions shall be considered as and when they have been received and be valued on default pattern.
3. For contributions received on or after 1st April, 2025:
   1. monthly contributions which are to be received in that month, shall be considered as and when received during the month and valued on default pattern.
   2. In the event of any missing contribution in any month, value shall be based on the weighted average NAV of default pattern as on the last working day of the month applied to monthly contributions of previous full month.
4. Contributions arising from arrears, such as arrears of Dearness Allowance shall be considered and valued on the default pattern as and when they are received.

Yes, CRA will provide details of the individual corpus and benchmark corpus in the PRAN account statement periodically.

• The rate of full assured payout will be @50% of 12 monthly average basic pay, immediately prior to superannuation, payable after a minimum 25 years of qualifying service.
• In case of lesser qualifying service period, proportionate payout would be admissible.
• A minimum guaranteed payout of Rs. 10,000 per month shall be assured in case superannuation is after 10 years or more of qualifying service subject to timely and regular credit of contributions and no withdrawals.
• In cases of voluntary retirement after a minimum 25 years of qualifying service, assured payout will commence from the date on which the employee would have superannuated if he had continued in service.

                       Assured Payout = (½ of P) × (Q/300)

• P = Average of Basic Pay for the last 12 months before retirement.
• Q = Number of qualifying service months.

If Q is:

• Less than 120 months → UPS benefits do not apply.
• More than 300 months → Q is capped at 300 months.

In cases of voluntary retirement after a minimum of 25 years of qualifying service, assured payout will commence from the date on which the employee would have superannuated if he had continued in service. However, the subscriber is eligible to receive a one – time Lump-sum Payment (10%) and Final Withdrawal (60%) immediately at the time of VRS.

The subscriber, on voluntary retirement from service after completion of twenty years, shall be entitled to pro-rata assured payout, as admissible. Further, the subscriber is eligible to receive a one – time Lump-sum Payment (10%) and Finals Withdrawal (60%) immediately at the time of VRS.
(For more details about retirement on completion of twenty years' regular service, refer to Rule 13 of the Central Civil Services (Implementation of the Unified Pension Scheme under the National Pension System) Rules, 2025)

A minimum guaranteed payout of Rs. 10,000 per month is guaranteed after completing 10 years of qualifying service.

Yes, in case of Qualifying service period of ten years or more, but less than twenty-five years, proportionate payout shall be payable.

Assured payout shall be proportionately reduced in any or both of the following cases – 

1. Individual corpus is less than the benchmark corpus as on the date of superannuation or voluntary retirement or retirement under Fundamental Rules 56(j), as may be applicable; 
2. Final withdrawal not exceeding sixty percent of the individual corpus, as opted by a subscriber. The assured payout so proportionately reduced shall be payable as admissible payout. 

The assured payout (refer Q 41) proportionately reduced shall be payable as admissible payout. The formula for calculating admissible payout is as under: 

Admissible Payout = Assured Payout x IC/BC x (1-FW%), where, IC= value of Individual Corpus, BC= value of Benchmark Corpus, with condition of IC ≤ BC 

FW= Final withdrawal in percentage points (maximum upto sixty percent of IC or BC, whichever is lower). 

The legally wedded spouse as on date of superannuation/retirement of the deceased subscriber shall receive for life, family pay out of sixty percent of the amount of the admissible payout or top-up amount drawn by the subscriber immediately prior to the demise.

Yes, the legally wedded spouse shall be eligible to receive the benefits payable to the deceased subscriber till the date of his/her demise, including Lump-sum Payment and Final Withdrawal. Thereafter, the spouse shall be eligible for a family pay out of sixty percent of the amount the subscriber was eligible to receive immediately prior to the demise.

Employee who complies with the requirements under regulation 4 and regulation 19 shall be eligible to receive the following benefits – 

1. lumpsum payment; 
2. monthly top-up amounts payable immediately after the date of superannuation or retirement; 
3. applicable dearness relief; and 
4. simple interest as per applicable Public Provident Fund rates on arrears with respect to above benefits for the past period from the month after superannuation up to the month preceding the submission of claim forms. 

Further, no interest shall be payable for the period beyond the last date of submission of option or claim as per clause (ii) of regulation 3. 

The benefits specified under sub-regulation (1) shall be in addition to the benefits availed or accrued to such employee under NPS including annuity, if any under NPS. 

Such employees will receive monthly top-up amount, which will be calculated as follows: 

Monthly top-up = (Admissible Payout + Dearness Relief on Admissible Payout)- Representative Annuity amount 

Representative Annuity rates for the period from January 2014 to March 2025 are provided under Schedule VI of PFRDA (Operationalization of Unified Pension Scheme under National Pension System) Regulations, 2025. 

Representative annuity amount= (IC) x (1-FW%) *(Representative Annuity Rate)/ (12*100). In case IC is greater than BC, IC shall be taken as equal to BC. 

Table- 1 (UPS subscriber who superannuated/retired on or before 31/03/2025)

Table- 2 (UPS subscriber who superannuated/retired on or after 01/04/2025)

Assured Payout shall be available only in the following cases, namely: -

1. In case of an employee superannuating after qualifying service of 10 years, from the date of superannuation;
2. In case of the Government retiring an employee under the provisions of FR 56 (j) (which is not a penalty under Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965) from the date of such retirement; and
3. In case of voluntary retirement after a minimum qualifying service period of 25 years, from the date such employee would have superannuated, if the service period had continued to superannuation.

Only the legally wedded spouse as on date of superannuation/retirement of the deceased UPS subscriber whose name appears as such in the service records as on the date of superannuation or voluntary retirement or retirement under Fundamental Rules 56(j), as may be applicable, and who is surviving the deceased subscriber is eligible for claiming family payout under UPS.

No, only the legally wedded spouse as on date of superannuation/retirement is eligible for family payout.

Yes, a lump-sum amount equivalent to one-tenth of the last drawn basic pay (plus NPA and DA) is paid for every completed 6-month period of qualifying service.

Yes, UPS Subscriber shall have an option of final withdrawal for an amount not exceeding sixty percent (60%) of the individual corpus or benchmark corpus, whichever is lower, available in the PRAN tagged to UPS as on the date of superannuation or voluntary retirement or retirement, subject to proportionate reduction in the assured payout payable to such UPS Subscriber.

Final withdrawal of up to 60% of the individual corpus or benchmark corpus (whichever is lower) is allowed as on date of Superannuation or Voluntary retirement or retirement under 56(j).

Such final withdrawal shall be admissible on the date of superannuation or voluntary retirement or retirement under Fundamental Rules 56(j).

Such final withdrawal shall be admissible on the date of superannuation or voluntary retirement or retirement under Fundamental Rules 56(j).

Dearness Relief as declared by the Central Government from time to time, will be applicable on admissible payout and family payout. Dearness Relief shall be payable only when admissible payout commences.

Yes, partial withdrawals maximum up to 3 times, up to 25% of self-contribution (excluding returns) are allowed after completion of lock-in period of three years from the date of enrolment under UPS or NPS whichever is earlier, for specified purposes.

Higher education of children, marriage of children, purchase/construction of residential house, medical emergencies, disability-related expenses, and skill development. 

A maximum of three times, including withdrawals made under NPS before opting for UPS.

Yes, the subscriber has the option to replenish the partially withdrawn amount before retirement.

In the event of death or boarding out on account of disablement or retirement on invalidation of UPS subscriber, options for benefits of family pension under the UPS or under OPS i.e. the Central Civil Service (Pension) Rules, 2021 / the Central Civil Service (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 2023 are available.

For this, the government employee covered under the UPS shall exercise such option in Form 1 and submit the details of family in Form 2 to the Head of Office, at the time of migration/joining.

The option for family pension under OPS may be revised at any number of times by the subscriber before his retirement by making a fresh option intimating his revised option in Form 1 to the Head of Office.

UPS account of the subscriber shall be closed and the government contribution and returns thereon in the individual corpus of the subscriber shall be transferred to government account. The remaining amount in the individual corpus shall be paid to the subscriber or the legally wedded spouse (as on the date of death of the subscriber), as the case may be. If the subscriber has no legally wedded spouse, the remaining amount in the individual corpus shall be paid to the legal heir(s) of the subscriber in lump sum.

No assured payout under UPS shall be payable. However, in case of resignation, the accumulated pension wealth in the individual corpus shall be payable to the subscriber in lump sum in accordance with the regulations as notified by the PFRDA.

In such cases, the subscriber shall continue under the UPS with the same PRAN. He shall be deemed to be a subscriber of the UPS from the date he was first appointed in the Central Government.

The subscriber shall be entitled to assured Payout admissible under the PFRDA (Operationalisation of Unified Pension Scheme under National Pension System) Regulations, 2025, as in case of superannuation.

In such cases, the subscriber shall be deemed to have retired from the central government service from the date of such absorption. If the qualifying service is less than ten (10) years, the accumulated pension wealth in the individual corpus under the UPS shall be payable to the subscriber in lump sum. In case of completion of qualifying service of ten years at the time of such absorption, the subscriber shall be entitled to assured payout admissible under UPS.